![A ἑκατοντάρχος or κενταρχος [Hekatontárkhos or Kéntarkhos, "Centurion"] and κατάφρακτος [Katáfraktos, "Cataphract"] of t...](https://img5.gluseum.com/608/011/760307926080114.jpg)
04/08/2024
A ἑκατοντάρχος or κενταρχος [Hekatontárkhos or Kéntarkhos, "Centurion"] and κατάφρακτος [Katáfraktos, "Cataphract"] of the Roman Army, Mid-Tenth Century CE. By YoritomoArt on Twitter.
The helmets are based on an example allegedly from Maas in Belgium (possibly 10th-12th centuries CE) and from Trncina in Croatia (2nd half of the 10th century CE). The aventail of the helmet from Maas is made of two rows of lamellar plates, as seen in multiple manuscripts including the Menologion of Basil II (1000 CE) and evidenced in Europe on a single helmet from Legrad-Soderica in Croatia (1st quarter of the 7th century CE). It also possesses a browband from Birka (10th century CE) with paradise motifs and doves, a common theme in Byzantine art. Such browbands with cuts are a tradition emanating from the Caucasus and are evidenced on a Sgraffito dish from Veliki Tarnovo (12th century CE).
The maille haubergon is based on a find from Mihailovo in Bulgaria (10th-11th centuries CE), while the lamellar κλιβάνιον [Klivánion] uses a plate from Veliki Preslav (1st half of the 10th century CE) and spaulders partially based on a find from Borisovo (8th century CE). The man on the right wears a νευρίκον [Neuríkon] based on a fresco from Tokali Kilise in Cappadocia, from 915 CE, overlapping left-over-right based on multiple frescoes and illuminations from the 10th-12th centuries CE. His maille chausses are based on a find from the Kyulchevka village catacombs in Bulgaria (9th-11th centuries CE), the earliest known example.
Their buckles are based on a Type-G1 buckle and strap end with three rings for mounting of archery equipment found at Corfu (10th century CE), and a Type-G2 buckle and strap end from Kastro Tigani on Samos (10th century CE). The baldrics are secured with Type-G5 buckles (10th-12th centuries CE), used to affix swords from Galovo (10th-11th centuries CE) and Garabonc (9th-11th centuries CE), both evidenced in the Menologion of Basil II (1000 CE) and Homilies of Gregory of Nazianus (878-883 CE). The scabbard chape of the sword from Galovo is based on a find from the Mineralni Baths in Bulgaria (10th-11th CE).
The tunic of the Hekatontárkhos uses a tablet woven scroll with ivy leaves and thorns from Amorion, originally in silk and gold thread. His hosen are based on an exported silk found at the burial of Mammen in Denmark (10th century CE), in the pattern of the hosen of Heinrich III (11 century CE) and his shoes come from Amorion Grave 103 (10th-11th centuries CE). The Katáfraktos' shoes are based on a so-far-unpublished pair from Cherson (4th quarter of the 10th century CE), on display in the museum. Both men wear "booties" seen frequently in art such as the mural from Karanlik Kilise (11th Century), known in Arabic sources as saq and Latin sources as socci, such as the boots of Saint Ulrich (7th-8th centuries CE).
Our Katáfraktos' quiver, bowcase, and bow assembly are from Karos II grave 14, 52, and grave 60 (10th century CE), painted blue based on an illumination from the Venetus A manuscript (10th and 12th centuries CE). His pike, at approximately ~475cm long, has a spearhead with wings based on a type well known from Venafro (9th century CE) and Serce Limani (11th century CE). The pike itself is painted blue with a yellow spiral based on a passage from Digenes Akrites (12th-13th centuries CE), showing a continuity in spear painting from Late Antiquity. Finally, his shield device is based on an example from BNF Ms. Gr. Parisinus 74 Folio 95v (11th century CE).
